Love for The Full Moon
by Hinoshi
Summary: This is the sequel to "No Need For Twilight": Two loves, on major change, what do you do when no matter what you do hurts someone you love? Read No Need for Twilight before you read this one Chap. 5 on its way R/R
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

"I don't want to do this David." I complained as I paced back and forth at the designated meeting point. "I know, but we have to. For the sake of the pack and the treaty." _Stupid treaty, and stupid Meyer for getting another one right._ I growled and heard David laugh beside me. "I'm not a fan of it either you know." He smiled and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, he wasn't so hot to me anymore now that our bodies were the same tempture. "You don't like it because you want a reason, all you boys want a reason, to rip the Kollins apart. I don't like it because I have to face the Kollins now, on this side of the fence." I groaned and leaned against David. "Would you rather be on the other side, a blood sucker like them?" It was one of the pack, his name was Nick and he was shorter then David and not as broad and a bigger jerk then David could ever dream of being. "Not a bloodsucker no." I still hated it when they called the Kollins names but I had started to get used to it. _**But you'd still rather be with him.**_ I heard David inside my head and sighed. We had found a way to block our minds from the others if we wanted to, so we could have our own private conversations. _I'm sorry David, I still love him. Even if all of you think he's the enemy._ I did feel sorry, I felt even worse when I admitted to myself that I loved David too.

**Chapter One: On the Run in Collage**

"You're going to have to face them eventually, I don't like it but it's true." David was saying one day as we were running in the woods around my collage. "I know that already, I'm just not ready for that yet." I sighed. I knew I was being stupid, I didn't need David to remind me of it. I had gone back to collage, to get my degree, and had been dodging the Kollins every time one would come looking for me. It was usually Emmett, Allison, or Tatiana who would come look for me. I could always hear Emmett coming, I would have to smell for Tatiana and Allison. I couldn't hear their thoughts so they were more likely to catch me.

I had only gotten caught once, and it was by Tatiana. "Come home, please? He misses you so much." She had begged me, hugging me tightly ignoring the smell I knew she didn't like. "I can't, not yet. He still doesn't want me to be what I am. I've seen it in his mind, he is still repulsed by me, deep down. It's not just the smell, it's all of it." I sighed and watched Tatiana step away from me, "You don't smell so bad, those other dogs smell worse. Opps, I mean your pack. You still have that same floral smell, just a little bit of dog mixed with it." She smiled and hugged me again, to prove her point she breathed me in deeply. I had to laugh and hug her back. "Thanks I guess, you don't smell so bad either. Still like sweet-grass, just a little to strong a sweet." I crinkled up my nose in faux disgust and watched her laugh. "Come home, please?" She asked again and I shook my head. "Not yet, besides I have to finish collage. Freak monster or not, I promised my parents."

She had left after that taking a simple message to Emmett for me, "Tell him I still love him, but I'm not ready to be with him yet." She had agreed to pass it on, even though I knew it hurt her to do it.

"It hurt you more." David said, I hadn't realized he was listening in on my memory. "I hate it when you do that." I muttered as we came into view of the campus. "Sorry, you were just looking so sad I had to see why. See if I could make you better." He smiled and hugged me with one arm. "You being around makes me better." I smiled and hopped up on my toes and kissed his cheek. "Are we ever going to get past the friendly cheek kisses?" He asked, I knew he was teasing or at least part of him was. He still wanted to be with me, but I wasn't ready to push Emmett aside yet. It had only been eight months, I had kept adding the time because it never seemed long enough to give up on Emmett. "I know, I know." He muttered and sighed heavily. "I'm sorry David, I can't just turn it off. You know I love you, I do, but I still love him. I can't give you what you want when my heart still wants him." I always felt tiny and worthless when I had to say these things to him. "I know, I can wait. We've got forever for you to come around." _You always say that._ And he did, he would always say just the right thing to make me feel better and yet worse.

"So what sort of homework do you have to get done today?" David asked as we entered my dorm room. "Finals nonsense, and filing paper work to get into another collage. I want my Masters, well my Doctorate actually, in Archaeology so I have to get into a good school for that." I sighed as I dropped my bag on my bed and started un-packing books and laying them on my computer desk. "Washington has a great Collage and, hey, you know a Professor from there. He did promise to get you in." David reminded me. I hadn't forgotten about Michael's promise to get me into his collage, and neither had he. I looked at the mail in my hand, that my roommate had left on my desk for me to find, and there it was a letter from 'Professor Michael Kollin'. I opened it as quickly as I could, and found paper work that needed to be filled out and a hand written letter.

Dear Renee',

Like I promised, here are all the papers you will need to get into Washington U. I have already filled out a recommendation and filed it with my department, all you need to do is file these forms when you are finished with them. I don't see any problems with you getting in.

Best Wishes,

Michael

P.S. He misses you, and he's sorry. Even if he can't say it himself.

I read and re-read the letter over and over again, mainly the last line. "He's sorry?" David read over my shoulder. "He needs to learn to say it himself." He scoffed as I sat the letter down, trying to fight the emotions that were building inside me.

David seemed to notice my change and moved to sit next to me, wrapping on massive arm around me, holding me next to him. "Breath, it's okay, just breath." He kept whispering to me, rubbing circles on my arm. "Why is it always his damn family pleading his case and never him?" I said as I started to calm down. "You never give him a chance to talk to you." David said and I knew he was right. "He doesn't even think it, or if he does he doesn't let me hear it. If he was so damn sorry he would be screaming it, at least inside his head." I was trying to stay calm but it wasn't working. "He's an idiot, I've always said so." David tries to tease, and it actually seemed to work this time. "Total idiot." I agreed and rested my head against his chest. "Wait, did I just hear you agree with me?" David laughed and poked my rib. "Shut up, it was a fluke, don't get you're hopes up." I said poking him back.

"To late, you already agreed with me. I win!" He laughed and began to tickle me, I squealed and screamed fighting back. "No, I will never surrender!" I yelled as I started to tickle him back. Before we knew it I was on my back on my bed and he was hovering over me breathless. "You'll never just let me win, will you?" He asked as he leaned closer to me. "It's against my nature." I laughed breathlessly, putting my hands against his chest to keep him at bay. He scowled at me as he took wrists in his hands, "Let me kiss you." it wasn't a question. He moved my hands away and leaned closer, his lips merely inches from mine. "No David, you know I can't." I said, feeling my heart skip a beat as his breath blew over my face. "Yes you can, just this once." He whispered as he trailed his lips over my earlobe. I felt my breath catch in my chest and my heart beat awkwardly. He heard it to and chuckled as he moved his lips to my jaw then to my lips.

I couldn't move, his lips were hot against mine and I could feel his tongue brush against my lips willing them to open. "Stop." I tried to say, but the minute my lips parted he deepened the kiss. My head started to swim and my urge to fight him away was being over powered by my urge to pull him near. He had dropped my hands and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me tightly to him. My hands made to move around his neck, I grabbed handfuls of his hair and pulled but I wasn't pulling him away I was pulling him near. I heard him growl deep in his throat as I warred inside my head over what was going on. _No, stop, please. I can't. _I cried into his mind and was finally able to will my limbs to push him away. He moved willingly, looking down at me with sadness in his eyes. "I'm sorry, I just can't." I could feel the tears well up inside my eyes as he moved away, sitting in my computer chair. "I'm sorry." He whispered and I could tell he was, I could hear him yelling at himself for pushing me to far. "It isn't all on you, I didn't make you stop. I didn't want you to, but you had to." I looked away from his face and down at my hands.

I heard him move and felt his weight on my bed and his arms around my shoulders. "I won't push myself on you again, if you want to kiss me I'll wait for you to decide." He whispered into my hair and that was all it took, I began to cry. All the emotions I had been holding in just spilled over. "Shh, shh don't cry. It's okay, I promise." He kept whispering but I kept crying. "I shouldn't keep doing this to you. You deserve better then me, I hate myself for what I do. I pull you in just to push you away, and you let me." I cried and tried to pull away from him. "Stop it, I knew what I was getting into. I knew you had baggage and I don't care, you can push and pull me all you want. I'm not going anywhere." He said as he turned me to face him. I looked up into his eyes and they were burning with resolve. "I'll never get over Emmett, I'll always love him and it isn't fair to you. I'll never be able to give all my heart to you, he will always hold a part of it, and you deserve a girl who can hand you her entire heart." The tears were slowing and I could breath normally again as he reached up and took my face in both his massive hands. "I'm. Not. Going. Anywhere." He said, kissing my cheeks with every word, kissing away the remaining tears. I leaned forward, resting my head on his chest, and listened to his heart beat. "You are such a masochist." I muttered and felt him laugh.

"You know I like David, but can't you at least listen to Emmett? He is going crazy without you, he is always calling and asking me how you are. Apparently you have been avoiding him every time he tries to come see you." Kalley was saying over lunch one afternoon. "There is so much more going on then just David, besides I'm not 'with' David. I'm not with anyone right now." I sighed and stabbed at my food. "You seem pretty 'with' him." She said as she watched me stab my food. "Well I'm not okay." I groaned and looked over at her. "Kalley get to the point, you know I hate it when you beat around the bush." She sighed again and put down her fork. "I know I don't know the whole story, but I do know you still love him. Whatever it is that is keeping you two apart, you need to work out. You are only ever, almost, happy when you're with David but you can't always be with him. You still dream about Emmett, your roommate told me about you talking in your sleep." She clarified when I looked at her in shock. Had I really been talking in my sleep again? "You love him, he loves you. I just don't understand why you can't work it out." She sighed and reached out and placed her hand over mine. "There are things he needs to work out before 'we' can work out." I said and stood up. "Renee'? Give him a chance?" She pleaded as I picked up my plate and turned away from her. "Some day I might." I said and walked away.

I was thankful for finals, they gave me something to keep my mind on. It was easier to ignore the searing, pulsating, pain when I had something else to think about it. They were one of the few things left to keep my mind busy, I had already filed all the paper work I would need for all the collages I was trying to get into so that was gone, now all I had left was finals and David. David did his best to keep me busy, but he wasn't always around. He'd had to go back to his pack a few times, it turned out he was the alpha dog after all, to clear up a few issues. The Kollins weren't a problem, they never were, but other vampires and related issues would crop up and he'd have to go take care of it. So I was alone a lot more lately then I had been, though David was only ever a thought away. Though it hurt to think of him that way, because there was always someone else that could be just a thought away and I didn't want to think about him.

It was on one of these lonely days that it finally happened, I hadn't been paying attention to the sounds around me and I had run smack into him, literally. "Oh, I'm sorry." I said before I could take in the man in front of me. "You should be, running from me all this time." It was Emmett, and his voice was harsh even though I could hear the hurt. "Emmett?" I gasped and backed away as quickly as I could. "I guess Rose was right, she said now would be the only chance I could catch you off guard." He smirked and it took all I had not to smile back, or run away. "Thank God for finals then I suppose." I said, keeping my eyes on his face but my ears open to anything else. "Why, why do you always run from me?" _Guess we are past catching up. _I sighed to myself. "I have to." I decided to tell the truth as I saw it, even if he didn't like it. "No you don't, I told you I still loved you but you still run." He made to move closer and I stepped back. "You still love the old me, the one that was just a normal human. I'm not just some human any more Emmett, and you haven't accepted that yet." I could see the words were hurting him and it was killing me not to reach out and comfort him. "I have." He started to say but I raised an eyebrow and waited for the back pedal, "I would, if you'd just give me a chance. You never give me time to be with you, I don't know what to expect because you don't let me near." He made to move again and this time I stood still.

"You're still my Renee'." He was saying as he moved closer. "I just don't smell like her anymore, and if I wanted to I wouldn't look like her either." I said as I watched him crinkle up his nose as a gust of wind caught my sent and blew into his nose. "I'd learn to live with it." He said and part of me wanted to believe it. "You don't really know for sure, your body gives you away." I nodded at the fact he had stopped moving the moment he had smelt me. I wouldn't lie, he didn't smell so great either, but there was still the hint of the smell of him I had loved. It was just a little to sweet and strong for my nose to enjoy, but if he could learn to leave with me I'd deal with him.

I waited for him to move, it seemed to take forever, but he finally moved. He stepped slowly closer to me, his arms reached out as if waiting for me to make the next step. "Please Renee' give me a chance to prove that I still love you?" The pleading in his voice almost ripped out my heart and it took all I had not to run to him but to walk slowly. "I want to, I truly do, I just don't know if I'm ready for that yet." We were standing in front of one another, just close enough to entangle our fingers and I could feel the drastic tempture difference between his cold hands and my hot ones. He moved closer, pulling me closer to him, lifting one of our joined hands to his lips, kissing my skin softly. "I'll wait forever if that's what it takes to prove you are still my Renee'." He whispered against my skin.

I heard a growl from behind me and knew it was David. Emmett dropped my hands and stepped back, I turned slowly and looked into the angry eyes of David. "What are you doing here leach? Didn't kill her enough the first time you ripped out her heart?" He growled and I saw what he was trying to show him. "Stop it David!" I barked and heard my own growl ring out. "You can't just let him back in!" David yelled and I felt myself cower back. His face softened instantly, "I don't want to see you hurt again." He said in a soft whisper. "I know David, I'm not just letting him back in. I'm not ready." I said this to them both, turning to look at Emmett. "I do love you, I will always love you but I'm just not ready to pretend nothing has changed. Give me time?" I asked and watched Emmett nod. _We have eternity to be 'us' again._ He whispered into my mind, and I was glad I could keep David out of it, at least in human form I could close my mind to David. In wolf form he could enter my mind any time he wanted, he just didn't.


	2. Chapter 2: Summer Learning

**Chapter Two: Summer Learning**

I had passed my finals, with flying colors, and was eager to enjoy my summer vacation. I had decided I had dodged the new pack long enough, and I was going to go to Washington and meet them all. I knew it would bring me close to the Kollins and I wasn't exactly thrilled about that, but I would deal with them if I had too. "Ready to go?" David asked as he closed the trunk of my car and climbed into the passenger seat. "As I'll ever be. You sure the pack is going to like me? They don't always seem so pleased to hear from me." I said, remembering back to one of the times I had talked to them all thru our wolf connection. None, but a very few, of them liked the idea that I was in love with a 'leach' and they had no problem telling me so. Others, ones who had actually talked to the Kollins, were perfectly okay with it. Even if they found it to be totally bizarre, what with someone as perfect for me as David why would I want a vampire.

"They'll like you just fine, they just haven't gotten to meet you yet so they are all a little nervous." He comforted me, patting my hand gently. "If you say so boss." I muttered as I continued to drive, my own personal speed limit of 'un-naturally fast'. "I am the boss, I could make them like you." He teased then back pedal quickly because of the 'I'll kill you' glare I was giving him. "But I wont, they're going to love you with out my help so don't worry." He smiled, holding up his hands in surrender.

It didn't take us as long as it would have taken anyone else to get the Rez, _Jeez how much does this lady know?_ I thought to myself as I watched La Push come into view. "Seriously? You live at La Push?" I asked as I started to slow down. He chuckled and I had to look over at him. "Not really, just some of the boys have family here and they are visiting." He laughed and I had to grip the steering wheel so I would punch him in the face. "You are evil, you know that." I muttered as he laughed loudly. "Where do I have to go?" I asked and decided to just dig in his mind myself and find where I needed to be. "Beach party? Fun." I said trying to ignore the urge to clean his clock. "Yeah, we're all getting together at the beach. We all really live north of here, the Rez up north." He smiled as I pulled in next to an old truck parked by the beach. "Makah?" I asked, remembering the name being mentioned in one of the Twilight Saga books. "Yeah, Meyer?" He asked and I nodded.

"Guess it was bound to happen, she was going to get a lot right without trying." I sighed as I willed myself to open the car door. "Come on, get out of the car, you're not going to get out of meeting the guys." He said as he climbed out of the car and moved around to my door pulling it open for me. "Aw, come on." I whined as I climbed out of the car and closed the door behind me. "If you're a good girl, I'll show you around the woods. We can run around and even stalk some deer if you want to." He offered and nudged me with his shoulder. "Nothing says good time like watching you mark your territory while I smell out the food. We're a wolf pack not a lion pride." I teased back bumping him with my hip as the beach came into view, as well as the large bon-fire surrounded by large indian men and few indian women.

He just laughed and took my hand walking me down to the beach. I had to laugh, not letting go of his hand as we met up with his pack. _My pack. Holy, crap, I belong to a pack. _It dawned on me as I looked over the faces of all the large indian men turning to look my way. "Davey boy! About time you got back. Oh, is this the new girl?" One of the larger of the boys asked. _Not boy, man. He has to be in his twenties. _I thought as I looked the man over. He wasn't the largest one there, that was David, but he was one of the larger ones. "Hey Nick, this is Renee'. This is Nick, he's something of my second in command." He introduced us and we shook hands. I felt him try to make me flinch by grinding my knuckles together, I grinned and squeezed his hand back. I ground his knuckles together and dug my nails into his skin causing him to flinch. "Nice to meet you Nick." I said as I let go of his hand and started picking at my nails. "Yeah, you too." He said shaking his hand and looking at the little bleeding spots where my nails had dug in. _**Play nice D.C.**_David said, using his personal -if not abbreviated- nickname for me. _He started it. _I retorted then had to laugh with David at how childish I sounded.

They all seemed to look alike, all massive and tanned with different lengths of hair. Nick was a few inches shorter and his hair was cropped up around his ears, another one of the pack members was named Tom and his hair reached just between his shoulders and he was thicker then David but still shorter then him, he was also in his mid twenties where Nick was only nineteen. There were so many others that it was hard to keep track, after Nick and Tom there was Jon, Ryan, Badger, and Tim. Then there were the three other females, Melissa -who was eighteen-, Briana -twenty and about three inches shorter then me but with the air of someone who wasn't to be messed with-, Nikki - sixteen and the newest member of the group aside from me-, and then there was me. I stood up like an albino at the Apollo against all these tanned beautiful people. I had a tan, but it was soft compared to their deep russet skin.

We talked for awhile, everyone seemed to be ignoring the fact I had dated a vampire, and they would ask me about my years in collage and my family and I was more then happy to keep them talking on anything but the Kollins. "So, what was it like to have it stuck to you by a blood sucker?" Nick asked after awhile and it took David holding me down to stop me from jumping the fire and ripping out Nick's throat. _This jerk is going to end up getting his throat ripped out if he doesn't learn to shut his mouth. _I growled to myself and heard a resounding growl from David, that wasn't in my head. "Nick, I know it's hard for you not to be a jackass, but try. I wont always stop her from kicking the crap out of you." David said and I could feel his alpha vibe vibrate off of him and seem to reach out and slap Nick. "Sorry David." He muttered then looked to me, I was still glaring at him with my teeth bared. "Sorry Renee', I wasn't thinking." He apologized and I worked hard to relax my muscles and my face. "You should learn to think, stupid flea bag." I growled and stared into the flames. _**Thought you didn't like it when people called each other names? **_David teased me and I just growled into the flames. _If the shoe fits. _I muttered into his mind and heard him chuckle.

I enjoyed hanging out with everyone, they were all welcoming and nice enough to not bring up the Kollins. The only one I had any issue with was Nick, and that's because he seemed to thrive on trying to get my riled. He never addressed me directly about it but he would make jokes with the other guys at my expense. "If he doesn't shut the hell up I am going to rip off his arms and shove one down this throat and one up his ass so that he can join hands in his colon." I growled after another row of 'blood sucker' jokes. "Bring in on princess." Nick said standing up and moving around the dieing out fire. He smirked at me and I looked to David who simply nodded. I felt a triumphant growl escape my throat as I stood up and moved to face Nick. "First to bleed, and don't worry I'll go easy on you." Nick tautened as he pulled off his shirt, a cocky grin on his face. I growled and laughed as I kicked off the flip-flops I was wearing and stood calmly waiting for him to move.

"Bring it on flea bag." I growled and watched as he crouched and stepped forward. Before he could even start to faze I leaped in the air and was fully fazed into my wolf form before I landed over him. I kicked him hard in the ribs and watched him stumble back, fazing himself. He was a dirty gray color with one large brown patch on his under belly. He came at me, his teeth bared and growling, not enjoying be out done by a girl. _~You're going down Princess, I'm gonna give it too you good.~ _He growled in my mind and I had to laugh out loud, the resounding bark made everyone snicker a little. _This shouldn't last long then, I've heard the stories. _I taunted and heard David laugh loudly. That was all it took, he came at me growling loudly, I just stepped out of the way, I didn't have to read his mind to know what he was planning. His body language gave it all away, anyone who could pay enough attention would know what he was planning.

I tried to ignore his thoughts but there were things that he was saying that was making it hard for me to just play, he was starting to anger me. _~Just like a leach lover to cheap shot.~ _That's all it took, I was at his throat, my teeth not breaking skin but making him cower under me. I growled loudly as he stopped moving, his ears folding back in defeat and anger. I stepped away and slapped at his midsection with my massive paw and I saw the fur fly away and the blood follow it shortly. There was a deep growl and David stood between us, as the massive white alpha wolf. _** That's enough! Both of you, relax.**_ He growled again and we both backed away from each other. _I win, now keep you're mouth shut about the Kollins. _ I growled at Nick then cowered from the glare David was giving me as he towered over me. _**Enough Renee'. Nick, stop with the jokes. **_ He growled at us both and it took me back to have him talk to me like that, to use my name like that.

I managed to calm down and Nikki got me a spare set of clothes from my car for me to change into. "Thanks again Nikki." I said again as we all gathered around the fire to eat. "No problem, nice work on Nick, he can be such a jerk. Maybe he'll be quite for a while." She said as she passed me another hot dog. "Maybe, but I wont hold my breath." I laughed as I took the food and leaned back against a large log and started munching on it. "He will if he knows whats good for him." David said as he sat down next to me, a large over flowing plate in one hand. "Does he?" I asked and laughed, catching a hot dog bun that Nick tossed at my head. "Don't be a bitch Princess." He laughed. "Aw, but I love the tail!" I laughed and everyone laughed with me. It was easy to be around all of them, they all seemed to accept me for who and what I was. It was comfortable, it was simple.

I slept outside, in wolf form, a light spring dress tied around my. Thankfully I didn't have any dreams, but there were voices in my head, it wasn't my pack. I had learned to tone them out if I needed to, this voice was one I hadn't heard in months, and I didn't even know I wanted to hear it. _Renee'?__Can you hear me?_ Emmett's voice echoed in my head. I looked up, lifting my massive head and looking around. I smelt the air, he wasn't near by, then I listened to the air and I couldn't hear him near either. _I can hear you. What do you want Emmett? _I asked as I stood slowly, feeling his presence in my mind, searching for him thru his own mind. _I want to see you, where are you?_ He asked and I saw thru his eyes where he was. I ran at full tilt to where he was, feeling the joy over flow the fear of seeing him again. _I'll come to you, stay where you are. _I called out as I kept running, I loved the feel of the wind against my face. I could smell and taste the air, everything was clearer to me. I loved being a wolf, it was the most freeing feeling I had ever felt in my entire life.

I kept my nose open and it only took ten minutes to find his sent, a smell I hadn't looked for in a long time. I fazed back to a human and pulled the dress over myself. I didn't have on shoes but I didn't need it, I kept running until I reached where Emmett was waiting. "Emmett?" I called out as I walked thru the trees and saw him standing there, his hands in his pockets and his eyes un-focused until I cam into view. "Renee'? Is that really you?" He asked as I moved closer, I slowed down fearing he would back away but he just turned towards me with his hands reaching out. "Emmett!" I yelled and ran into his waiting arms, I felt his ice cold arms around me and felt his cool lips kissing every part of my face he could reach. What we were and what we smelt like didn't matter, all that mattered was that we were together. "How long have you been here?" He asked after a long moment of us just holding each other. "Only about a day and a half, I wasn't sure if I was ready to come see you. Any of you." I said in a soft voice looking away from him. "You don't have to come see us until you are ready. Just to know you were safe, and that you still wanted me, is enough for me for now." He whispered against my hair. I laughed against his chest, fighting back the urge to push away from his overly sweet scent. "I'll always want you, you stupid man." I kissed his chest then stepped away. "Even though you smell." I laughed and watched him wrinkle up his nose, "You're one to talk, you smell like a dog." He groaned, but I could see the smile in his eyes.

We didn't stay together long, I knew David would be looking for me if I wasn't where he could hear me when he woke up. I fazed right in front of Emmett, after tieing my dress back to my leg, and waited to see the look of disgust on his face. It was only slightly still there, he was making the effort to accept me and it made me happy to know that. I wasn't even a forth of a way to where I had been when I heard the resounding disgust. I had forgotten to shut off my mind, and so everyone got to see what I had just done. _**Shut up guys! **_David yelled to the rest of them and my mind went silent, I could still feel them all inside my head. _I'm sorry David, I-I-I just couldn't. _I tried to apologize and felt the sadness in David's mind. _**I'm not mad at you Renee', I knew he'd look for you and I knew you'd want to see him. **_I knew he wasn't upset with me, but I was upset with myself. I knew how much it hurt David when I thought about Emmett, though he seldom let it show. As I walked, my head down, I smelt David on the air. As I looked up I saw the giant white wolf sitting there, waiting for me.

_**I know you love him, I can't be mad at you for loving him. Even if I don't like the guy, and I don't like that you're with him. I know he makes you happy. **_I heard him growl and I knew it was his version of a scoff. I laughed a bit and walked up to him, nuzzling my head into his massive chest. _Thanks David, I'm so lucky to have met you. _I whispered into his mind then lifted my head to lick his cheek, in the best way a dog could give a kiss. _**Yeah, so you've said. You do know how gross that would have been under any other circumstances? **_I had to laugh, a barking laugh but still a laugh. He was right, if I had been human when I did that it would have looked freaky and extremely gross, but doing it as a wolf it seemed totally natural. _Yeah, don't expect me to lick your face. Ever._ I laughed again and this time so did he.

David, and the others, kept me distracted for the longest part of my visit to La Push and Makah. I stayed in wolf form a lot of the time, becoming human every once in a while to do human things like go shopping with the girls or visit peoples families who weren't in on the big secret. I had even gotten a knack for hunting, I could take down a twelve point buck with little problem, but I still had issues with eating it if I ever took the time to look at it's eyes before I killed it. "Stupid 'Bambi', always kills the hunt. All you girls get all weepy like you're the ones taking out his mom." Nick said one day while we were all, human, hanging out at his parents house. They knew the secret, most of the parents of the pack wolves knew the secret it was the outside family who didn't know. "Shut up Nick, it's our thing. Get over it." Briana said as she tossed a rock at his head, he dodged it of course. "It has nothing to do with Bambi for me, it's more like I can see that they know it's coming. It's creepy, the way their eyes just sort of glass over right before." I shuddered. It just creeped me out beyond belief, their eyes were just so empty and cold even when they were alive. "Wussy." Nick muttered and Jon joined in his laugh. "Minute man." I said in a louder mutter and all the girls laughed.

"Where did you even hear that?" David asked an hour later when we were heading back to the hotel room I had booked for myself, for when I wanted my mind to be alone. "Oh from Briana, apparently Nick hooked up with one of her friends and she was all about 'kissing and telling'." I laughed loudly as I unlocked the door to my hotel room, sending a loving glance at my beautiful car. I still drove it, no matter how fast I could run -and I could run pretty damn fast- I loved driving that car. "That's just gross." David muttered as he ducked under the door to get into the room. "Tell me about it, poor girl." I laughed again as I tossed my keys on the table and went to the little kitchen to get a drink.

"You want something?" I asked as I pulled out jug of tea and set it on the counter. "Tea is fine." He said as he stretched out in a chair by the small round table set against the wall. I nodded and reached into the cabinets for two cups. "Ice?" "Yeah." I got the ice and poured the tea, then I put the jug back in the fridge and carried the two glasses to the table and sat them down. "I don't see why you needed to rent a room?" David remarked as he surveyed the small room with the big bed in the middle. "Because I like to shower. And, no, running thru a creek bed is not the same as taking a bath." I retorted before he had a chance to object. "What don't like smelling like the woods and a dog?" He teased, waggling his eyebrows at me from above the rim of his glass. "I'm going to smell like a dog regardless, but I do like to smell like a clean dog." I shot back as I sipped my tea, feeling the corners of my mouth pull up into a smile.

We joked back in forth for a while then fell into a comfortable silence. It was easy to be quite with him, it never felt like I had to say something. I could think to myself and I'd know he wouldn't listen in, though I kept my mind shut off from him just in case. Suddenly I felt it, a presence coming up the stairs and to my door, then I smelt it. "Vampire." David muttered and bared his teeth standing up. I got up quicker and put my hand over his chest. "Calm down, I know this smell." I warned him. I did know the smell, it was a lot stronger now but I still knew who it belonged to. "Not him, is it?" David asked trying to keep his voice calm. I shook my head and moved to open the door, a bright smile spreading across my face as I saw the beautiful person standing behind it. "Allison!" I cried with joy and watched her smile in response. "Hey Renee', long time no see." She smiled and we both hugged, I ignored the disgusted groan inside my head from David.

"You smell like a dog, a flowery dog." She laughed and wrinkled up her nose. "Yeah well you smell like too sweet honey suckle, roses, and cedar trees." I said wrinkling my own nose with a phoney disgusted look. She laughed again and I stepped aside to leave the door open. "Come on in, ignore David." I said simply as I walked inside and waited for her to enter. _**Real nice, just ignore me. Not like I'm the pack leader here, just let the fairy bloodsucker right on in. **_He complained inside my mind and I cut him a scathing look. _Shut up David, and don't call her that._ I argued with him then turned to look at Allison. "Inner dialogue?" She asked with a half smile as I nodded. "I've really missed you Renee', why wont you come visit us?" She asked as she came into the room and sat on the giant bed. I took my seat at the table and folded my hands in my lap. "For one I wasn't aware any of you were here but Emmett, for another, I wasn't exactly ready to face all of you at once. What do I say to people I'm supposed to be the enemy of? What do I say to someone that it's my job to fight with not for?" I sighed heavily and heard David grunt in agreement. Allison watched my face with a frown then sighed herself, I could smell her sweet breath from here and I could just picture David wrinkling up his nose at it. "I don't know, I didn't think you would want to be enemies." She frowned and I had to fight to keep the shock out of my voice though I knew it showed on my face. "I don't want to be enemies, I love you guys. It's just that's what everyone is expecting of me." I turned to look at David, who was intentionally looking away, then looked back. "The others, the other members of the pack, don't like the idea that I was and still am so friendly with you and your family. They especially hate that I'm in love with one of your family. And I don't know exactly what the rest of your family thinks of me, now that I am what I am." I sighed and looked away from her sad pixie face.

"We love you Renee', true we weren't exactly thrilled that you've become what you are, but we love you no matter what. Tatiana and Michael have both let it be known how they feel, and we all agree with them. We want you around, we all miss you, and we will all learn to deal with the smell and the company you keep." She added with a half smile and a look over at David, who growled at her. I had to laugh, I could hear the mental screaming fit David was having. _**Like her company is so damn fabulous. Stupid leach.**_ It sounded childish to me and I had to fight to keep from laughing. "They aren't all so bad." I said, really, to them both. "There are some I'd like to tie a boulder to their legs and throw them in the deepest part of the ocean, but on the whole they are all good people." I smiled and watched Allison smile in return. "I know who you mean from our side," He added extra meaning to the word 'our', "But who would you want to throw in the ocean from her side?" Again the same tone but this time with more disgust. "Edward." Allison and I both said in unison then laughed. I adored Edward but sometimes he had chronic 'foot in mouth' disease.

We talked for a few hours, going outside near the end because none of us could handle the confined space with the waring smells. Not that I minded Allison's smell, it only burnt a little. "I guess I should get going, please think to stop by whenever you feel you're ready." She said with a last hug and then climbed into her car. "They say that a lot, don't they?" David asked as we both stood outside. I nodded, every time I had talked to any of them it was the same "when you're ready", except I didn't know when that time would be and I couldn't bring myself to tell them that.


	3. Chapter 3: Truth be Told

**Chapter Three: Truth be Told**

I wasn't ready to go see the Kollins but I was okay with calling them. I had called once or twice, just to touch base with Tatiana. I knew she would be the one worrying most, aside from Emmett that is, about my well being and me being around so many werewolves, even if I was one myself. I would only ever call Tatiana or Michael, even though they did have a home phone, on their cells. I wasn't ready for the chance that someone else, like Emmett or the others, would pick up the phone and start questioning me.

I had made that mistake only once, I had called the house phone and Edward had picked up. I was going to hang up the phone but I didn't want to prove to anyone that I was that big of a coward. We had gotten into it almost instantly, he was only making jokes but they had hit home.

"I am tired of this crap! There is nothing wrong with them. You are like one hundred years old, GROW UP!" I had yelled after he had made another bad joke. All his laughter was gone when he spoke again and it shocked me to hear him being serious, "Who are you to tell anyone to grow up? You act like a child constantly, avoiding Emmett like child with a bad report card. Never thinking how much it hurts him, you're the one who should be growing up." He never raised his voice but his words cut deep. I had been acting childish, I knew that, but no one seemed to understand why I was so afraid. No one but David anyway.

The screaming match continued for a good ten minutes before there was silence and I heard Emmett on the other line. I tried to calm down but when he took Edward's side of the argument, calling me a child just like he had, I blew up. "How dare you?" I had screamed, fighting back the rage that was coursing thru my body like lava. "I may be acting like a child but you're the one who was repulsed by me. I might have run but I doubt it hurt you as much as it hurt me to see that disgust and hatred in your eyes when you saw what I was!" I yelled, my whole body shaking. "I'm sorry, I've said it a thousand times. Why wont you belive me?" His voice was soft, but still harsh and cold. "Your words say it but your mind and heart don't. I can hear it in your tone." My voice was shaking, I had stopped screaming but the damage was done.

"When you can look at me, as I am and can be, with out wanting to run or vomit or even want to kill me. Then I'll believe you are sorry. Until then, you and your family should stay away from me. Perhaps it's time we stuck with our own for a little while. Until you can stay with me, all of me." My voice was soft, and even from miles away I could feel the hurt this was causing him but I could also feel that I was right and so could he. "I love you." His voice was soft and I could almost hear the tears that lingered behind the words. "I know, I love you too." I said simply then hung up the phone.

I stayed at Makah and La Push after that, my car staying parked at Melissa's house. She was my new safe haven, my shelter from vampires and werewolves alike. I could just be myself with her, not have to be a werewolf shape shifter or a vampire lover, I could just be. She wouldn't ask about Emmett or the Kollins, she wouldn't even push the idea of me and David as a couple on me like the others did either, it was nice.

It was at her house that certain things I had been avoiding seemed to fall in around me. Melissa lived alone in a one bedroom house with a tiny lawn and a tinier kitchen. The house was small but it felt like a home in every since of the word, everything about it welcomed you in. The smell of the house, the feel of the house, and even the furniture inside the house was cozy and homey. Melissa herself had the energy of a mother, even though she was younger then most of us, she would baby the younger pack members and try to keep the older ones in line. She even looked like a mom, she didn't' look old by any means, she had a soft welcoming face with long beautiful black hair that reached to just at her lower back. She kept her hair in a long braid most of the time and she always wore long summer dresses, it was easier to wear these things when you had to faze at any given moment, and her eyes were like soft milk chocolate. They shined with knowledge beyond her age and with a smile that never seemed to leave them even if she didn't have a smile on her face.

I had been avoiding the Kollins for about a month and a half now, leaving only the smallest of text messages on Tatiana's phone every week or so, and I wasn't feeling so empty and alone anymore. With the pack to keep me busy and company, I had even started to not miss Emmett so much. I still missed him but he wasn't in my every waking, and dreaming, thought. We were sitting outside in the lawn, Melissa, David, and myself, watching the sun set and talking amongst ourselves. I could feel something in the air, tension that didn't have anything to do with me, and it was making me un-easy. "Okay what the hell is going on?" I finally asked as I looked from Melissa's expectant face to David's contemplative one. "Alex is coming to visit." Melissa said. Alex was Melissa's boyfriend, they had dated all thru high school and were almost inseparable, and he had moved away after high school because of his parents. I heard Melissa talk about him, they had stayed together even thru the distance, and I wasn't sure he knew about her secret. The way David was acting almost proved my point.

I didn't say anything, the atmosphere was to heavy for me to make coherent words, as I watched the watch the road. Then we all heard it, the sound of an unfamiliar car coming up the road. I turned to look at Melissa and her face was ecstatic with untamed joy. _Unfamiliar to me I guess._ I thought as I looked to the road again and saw a old white pick-up coming ever closer to Melissa's drive way. I realized then that my car was taking up the only really driveway space and that he would have to park on the grass, it didn't seem to bother anyone else but me because he simply just pulled up onto the grass and parked the truck.

A tall man, I could only guess was Alex by the way Melissa ran to him smiling, with short black hair and the same russet skin tone stepped out of the car. He was roughly six foot tall and built of solid muscle. There was something about his eyes that caught me off guard when he looked from David to me. Then his scent hit the wind that was blowing our way and I watched Melissa step back quickly. She was at our side, David and I standing quickly and moving closer to him, and her eyes were wide with shock. "What?" His voice didn't match his size, it was soft, gentle, an didn't hold the deep harsh tones I'd have expected.

I smelled the air again, it was as I had thought before, it was a familiar scent but also alien. I heard David growl next to me and felt Melissa stiffen, "Calm down David." I said in a steady voice as I looked Alex over. I watched, from the corner of my eye, as David shot me a dangerous look. I nodded once and watched him relax, only slightly, into a more composed stance. "Do you know what you are?" I asked simply, stepping forward. It had been deemed my job to be the greeter, of sorts, for new arrivals. I could talk people down from over reacting when they turned. I hadn't had to do any real work but once, Nick's little brother James had joined the back about two weeks ago and I was the only one in wolf form to keep him calm, so I was now stuck with the job of doing it for anyone new.

Alex looked confused, but I could see understanding deep inside his eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about." He said and I heard his voice rise two octaves. "Don't play dumb boy." David growled and I shot him a quick glare. _Let me handle this damn it._ I growled into his mind and watched him relax again. "Yes you do, you can smell us on the air can't you?" I knew I was right, I could almost see into his mind. He hadn't accepted what he truly was yet, so I couldn't reach into his mind like I could the rest of the pack. Another gift I had gained as I accepted what I was, mind reading. It wasn't in every mind I could get into, only members of my pack, and those which would join the pack. _And Emmett._ I thought but pushed it aside.

I watched Alex smell the air and then go rigid, "What are you?" He asked as he looked from face to face, stopping on Melissa's. "We are what you are, what you have yet to accept to be." I said simply and stepped closer. He didn't flinch away and I could feel his mind opening to me. "What am I?" He asked, his voice shaking. I felt the wall shatter around his mind and sighed inwardly as his thoughts flew into my mind. He had turned about two months ago, and had just been able to calm himself enough to turn back a month ago. I could feel his fear and pain when he first changed, and I could feel his fear now as I started to accept what he was. _Shape shifter, or if you want a cooler name Werewolf._ I said into his mind, pushing all the calming energy I could into it. I watched his face loose color as he looked at me, my voice in his head clearly shocking him. _~Those don't exist. They can't.~ _He tried to convince himself. "I'm afraid they can, and we do." I said softly and moved closer. His shoulders slumped and his face fell. "Why?" He asked finally and I sighed. "We don't honestly know." I cut a glare at David, knowing he was about to tell him what he thought. "Some say it's because of vampires we exist. Yes they also are real, but not like you know them."

It took time to explain it all, I did most of it mind to mind in hopes of keeping certain people quite. After the explanations, and the telling of old legends, David fazed in front of him. Then Melissa and I did, of course going behind the house to un-dress. At first he didn't believe it was us, until he heard Melissa inside his mind. David and I fazed back shortly after that, leaving the two to be alone.

"You're pretty good at this." David said as we both sat outside, Alex and Melissa had ran into the woods for more privacy. "Thanks, it would have gone a lot smoother if someone hadn't been butting in every five minutes." I groaned and cut him another look. "Sorry about that, bad habit." He smiled an apologetic smile and I had to forgive him. "It's alright, you're forgiven." I said with a half smile as I watched the woods in the distance. "It's nice isn't it?" David asked after a long silence. "Hmm?" Was all I could come up with to say, part of me knew what he was about to say. "For Melissa and Alex, they have something they can share like this. No more secrets and they can be together without worrying about one hurting the other." I turned to watch him smile softly. "Yeah, I guess. I'm happy for them, especially Mel. She's been so worried that they couldn't be together because of what she was, always having to watch what she said to him on the phone." I sighed stared into the sky, not wanting to look at David.

"Yeah, nice that we don't have that problem." He said with a smile I could hear in his voice without having to look at his face. "Of course we don't have the problem they would have had. We aren't a couple." I turned to look at him, slapping myself mentally for saying it out loud. "I know that, but we are friends right? It's nice that we don't have to keep secrets from each other." He smiled but I could tell he was forcing it. "Look David." I started to say but he raised a hand to silence me. "Not this again okay? I know you still love him, but you can't stop me from caring about you." His voice was soft and his eyes were even softer as I looked into them. I had to fight the lump in my throat. "I know that, and I care about you too. But you know it makes me uncomfortable when you--." I couldn't finish the sentence so I just looked away.

Melissa and Alex didn't return that night, so I was alone in her home. Alone to think, and I hated being alone to think. I sat on the sofa, my legs crossed and my elbows on my knees with my face buried in my hands. I had tried to sleep but incoherent dreams kept me awake. So I sat silently, waring with myself about the un-controllable emotions that were bombarding my mind. I couldn't recall the entire dream, it had kept jumping from one scene to another over and over again. The only parts I were certain of were the parts I had watched from a distance. I watched myself run into David's arms, all smiles and joy. The thing that shocked me most was the two small children that seem to come running out of the small house, that my mind told me was ours. They looked like David, but the small girl had my hair and my eyes. They were our children, I was a mother and I was happy. At the moment I had bent down to pick up my children the dream had changed in a swirl of blackness.

It balanced itself again and I was watching myself sitting outside the Victorian home in Arkansas and I knew it was mine. I was sitting in Emmett's lap, and he had his face buried in my neck, there was no sign of disgust on his face. There was, however, worry. The worry spread to my face as a hand laid itself across my large belly. I had woken up at that point, I hadn't screamed but I wanted to. With David I was happy, my children beautiful and perfect, but with Emmett we were scared and worried. I had been pregnant and it wasn't something we were celebrating, we didn't know what to do. There seemed to be no one there to help us. I couldn't even fathom, awake or asleep, how I could be pregnant by Emmett. It went against all I knew, Vampires and werewolves were natural enemies. Even our DNA fought with one another, or so I'd been told. Vampire venom was like poison for my kind, it would kill us slowly. It wouldn't turn us, it would just destroy us from the inside out. No hope of an instant death. "How could I be having his child, if we are genetically incompatible?" I wondered aloud. Wouldn't our DNA be like polar opposites one destroying the other? I didn't have an answer.

What worried me more, even then the thought of having children period, was how happy I felt -even now- at being with David. How the joy seemed to radiate from my dream-self at seeing David and seeing our children. _Our children._ The words even sounded alien to my mind. So did the joy that seemed to be bubbling up inside of me as I sat with my face in my hands. "I shouldn't feel happy like this, but I can't ignore it." I muttered to myself as the heart stopping realization hit me. "I love David, I'm in love with David." I muttered, praying with all I had that no one was near enough to hear that. I was in love with him, and a part of me wanted that dream to come true. David, our children, and me, happy in a small house on the reservation. It didn't even have to be on the rez, it could just be anywhere just as long as it was with my family.

I bit my lip to keep from screaming, I couldn't want that. I shouldn't want that, I loved Emmett and I couldn't love David to or love the idea of a family with David. I beat my palms against my eyes to fight back the tears that had been sneaking slowly out of my tear ducts, then I began to pound my forehead with them. "Stupid, stupid, dream." I muttered and finally stood up. I began to pace the small living room, then moved to the kitchen. I looked around the small space, looking thru the cabinets at all the food but none of it appealed to me. My mind was racing as I tried to stop the waring images in my mind. Happy with David, worried with Emmett, it all made my head spin. I didn't even hear the door open or the prodding of my mind until I felt the warmth behind me and heard the sharp intake of breath. I wheeled around quickly and saw David standing there with shock breaking across his face. "David." my voice was soft as I watched his eyes stare, still in shock, into my own. "I was just coming to check on you. The guys said you hadn't gone to hang out like you normally do." His voice was a forced calm, but his eyes still held the same shock. "I wasn't feeling up to it." We both were trying to avoid the conversation that was coming.

We stood in silence, staring at one another, for almost half an hour. Neither one of us wanted to be the first to speak and we both kept are faces down, not wanting to look at each other till one of us spoke. "Is it true?" David finally spoke, his voice soft and gentle, trying to hide the hope. I just nodded then, not knowing if he was looking at me because I had yet to look at him, I said "Yes, it is." My voice was almost a whisper but I knew he could hear. "I wish I could say I'm sorry, but I'm not." David said, his voice still as soft. I finally looked up and stared into his gentle eyes. Every argument I had to try and make him see that I was wrong for him seemed to melt away, all the love he seemed to feel for me was pouring out of his eyes and I couldn't find the right words to push him away with. "I don't want you to be sorry." I whispered and watched him move swiftly, his arms wrapping around me. I knew I could pull away and he wouldn't stop me, but a part of me didn't want to. I lifted my arms, convinced I was going to push him away but instead I let them wrap around his waist. I buried my face into his bare chest, my arms tightening around him, and felt my hot tears began to stream down my face.

He simply held me, his face buried in my hair, and let me cry it all out. He didn't speak again until the last of my sobs had died away and I was still against his chest. "I wont make you pick sides, it's enough to know you love me. It's enough for now. You know I'll be here to catch you whenever you are ready to fall." I felt him kiss my hair and heard the smile in his voice. "But I wont force you to choose, not now, I can wait." He muttered and I felt the tears well up again and I had to fight them back. "How do you know to say the right things?" I mumbled against his chest, lifting my cheek from it and resting my forehead against it. _ And why do I always cry in front of you?_ I thought to myself, I wasn't a crier but I always seemed to remember how around him.

He shrugged his shoulders and chuckled once, "I don't know. I wasn't aware I was doing anything right." He began to move away and I tightened my arms around him for a split second them let go, frightened at how I seemed to respond to the idea of him pushing me away. He chuckled again and cupped my face with both his hands, turning my face upward to look into his eyes. "I'm not going anywhere, I just want to look at your face." He whispered and leaned down and kissed the last lonely tears off my cheeks. I let my eyes close and my hands move up to lay across his, I then turned my face into one of his palms and kissed it gently. "Thank you." I whispered into his palm before looking into his eyes. The fire behind them sent my heart racing and caused my breath to catch in my throat.

He leaned down slowly, his right thumb rubbing gentle circles on my cheek, and pressed his lips gently to mine. The reaction it caused startled us both, my lips parted and a soft moan escaped as my arms moved around his neck and my body angled itself against him. He froze, for only a second, then deepened the kiss. I knew I shouldn't, but my mind and body were at war and my body -and a part of my heart- was winning. _ Is it so wrong to be happy with him?_ I thought as I felt him lace his fingers into my hair, holding my face to his. _I would never have to worry about if he truly loved me for me, I could be happy._ As my mind argued with my heart I felt him lift me up and then move us both to the sofa. He laid me gently on my back, never once breaking the kiss. A part of my mind, and heart, yelled for me to stop it. _What about Emmett? _A little voice asked as I felt my body respond to David in a way I wasn't aware it could. My mind, and my heart that was Emmett's, finally won out. My body froze, I had seen enough day time television and romantic movies to know if I let this go further it would lead to trouble. If I choose to stay with David, Emmett would finally choose to stay with me. David seemed to notice that I had stiffened and he rose up to look down at me, "What's wrong?" His voice was hoarse and his eyes still burned, though I could see the worry lingering behind the fire.

I felt the tears start to build again, knowing I was going to have to say something I had begun to hate. "I'm sorry, I can't do this." I placed my hands on his chest, feeling his racing heart, and pushed him back gently. "It's wrong, I have to know where I stand with him first." I didn't dare say his name but I knew David knew who I meant, because his eyes started to darken as he moved away from me to sit up straight. "You're right. I did promise not to make you choose just yet." His voice was still hoarse but I could hear the hurt my words had caused. "I can't choose right now, not so soon after finding out that I do love you." My voice was small and I kept my eyes away from his face. "And if we were to continue, it would be like I had already made my choice and I haven't yet. It would be wrong of me to do that to you." My voice was hardly a whisper as I spoke, my heart falling to my stomach as I tired to ignore the pain it was causing me to hurt him.

I felt his warm fingers brush a line from my cheekbone to my jaw and then his hot breath brush my ear. "I understand, take the time you need." He then kissed my temple and stood up. "Don't leave." I said, my voice only slightly louder. He chuckled but there was no humor in the sound. "I have to, but I'll be back. I'm not running away, I'm just going to give you time to think. I don't know if I can keep being the good guy if I sit here any longer." I just nodded, not having the strength to look up. I heard the door open and close and when I looked up I was alone again.


	4. Chapter 4: UnWelcomed Guests

**Chapter Four: Un-Welcomed Guests**

It had been a week since I finally accepted that I loved David, and I was waiting for the awkwardness to hit. I was expecting it and was shocked when it never seemed to happen. Not when we were alone, or even when we were with the pack, it just never showed up. We had managed to keep it between us, the pack never hearing it in our thoughts. After awhile it stopped bothering me that it wasn't bothering us. I was happy that this hadn't damaged what friendship we had. I would catch him though, from time to time, staring at me with a wistful smile on his lips and I would smile back, my heart softening and knowing that my face showed it.

I was running thru the woods, in the mountains, that were near Makah, feeling free and at ease. I loved the feel of the wind against my face, I was faster now then I had ever been when I was just a human. Even in human form I was fast, but I was faster as a wolf so I would usually be in that form when I really wanted to run. I was running, my mind and nose open to anything that wasn't supposed to be in these woods, in figure eights thru the trees. My personal patrol, it wasn't that there was any knowable danger but I was always aware that there might be. If the Kollins were near here then other vampires might try and come this way too.

I would run out twenty miles then head back, weaving in different directions to make sure I didn't leave a hole. My mind always ready to scream the alarm to the pack, though David always had his mind in tune with mine and was always near enough to reach me when and if I needed him.

It seemed I would come back empty handed, yet again, as I made another circle on my patrol. Then I smelt, it wasn't a scent I knew personally but I knew it was a Vampire. That it was more then one, I could make out at least seven unique scents. Though they all almost smelt the same, I was sure that was because they were all over lapping one another. _David, I've got something. At least seven, maybe more, and it isn't the Kollins. _I slowed my run, taking in every scent, and then my stomach flipped. _ Human blood, these aren't like the Kollins. They've killed recently, I can still smell the blood, to fresh._ I explained, hearing more thoughts enter my mind. The pack was fazing in, each at a different location.

I followed the scent, keeping down wind so if they were near they wouldn't smell me coming. I had to fight back the howl, and mental scream, when I came across the bodies. It was a family, a mother and father and four children. They were children, one looked no more the five years old and the others were between eight and fourteen. I heard the resounding growls from my pack as the image was passed from mind to mind. _** Head back this way Renee', we'll re-group and hunt them down. You can't take them all on your own.**_ David ordered and I, reluctantly, turned back around and headed to where I knew my pack was gathered. I fought back the urge to scream, and vomit, as the images of the children burned themselves into my mind.

_~How do we know it's not her leaches?~ _ Nick asked, and I heard the resounding agreement from members of the pack. I growled deep in my throat and glared at Nick, we had all found each other and were gathered in the woods by the rez. _I know their scent and it isn't them._ I felt the doubt, and saw it on Nick's face and I growled again. _**She's right, it isn't them. She'd known the difference. **_David defended me, he knew the scent was different too. At least he knew that none of them were either Allison or Emmett. Nick made a sound to protest and a resounding growl came from my left. _~Shut up Nick, you know she's right. You just want an excuse to go after the Kollins.~ _This time it was Melissa who had my back and I looked at her and nodded a thank you. _~Since when did you call them the Kollins?~ _Nick asked and I heard him bark a laugh. The growls that came were not just from me, Melissa growled and so did David and Alex. It seemed Alex was on my side simply because Melissa was, and I was grateful for their support. _**Drop it Nick, we know it isn't them. Now we have to focus on finding out who it is, and how many there are. **_His thoughts rang with authority and none of us were willing to argue with him after that.

"What I don't understand is how there are still so many, and if there are that many now how many were there to start with." I was thinking out loud, sitting in Melissa's kitchen. David sat across from in at the kitchen table, and Melissa and Alex were in folding chairs sat against the counter. "What do you mean?" Alex asked and I turned to him and saw the confusion and slight fear in his eyes. "I mean your typical vampire, the ones that hunt humans, doesn't do well in a group. They fight amongst themselves, and end up killing each other more then working together. The Kollins can live in peace because they hold to most of their humanity. They aren't just mindless killers like the largest portion of their kind." It was easier to talk about them as a whole instead of focusing on one given member.

"How many do you think were there before?" Melissa asked, and I was thankful that the people present didn't question my knowledge. "I don't know, a dozen, maybe more. It's hard to tell, I don't know if these were newborns or if they were older. By the looks of it they were probably older, with a few newborns. The way they killed was precise and swift, they didn't waste time playing with their food." I shuddered at the thought that that poor family was just food to these monsters. "And newborn vampires like to play with their food?" Alex asked and I could hear the disgust and revulsion in his voice. "Yeah, I'm sure not all are so bad, but the ones I've run into are so drunk on the power that they toy with their victims before just tearing them apart." I tried to fight back the image of Jessica and how she seemed to giggle when she played with what was left of the man she had killed. I felt David place his hand over mine and I looked up to see the softness in his eyes.

"So only a few newborns, we can handle that." David said with confidence and I remembered the last time he had come into contact with newborns and it sent a shiver up my spine. "A few newborns and some more experienced older vampires, you haven't dealt with that before. None of us have." I said and felt David squeeze my fingers. "We can handle it." Alex said, his voice sounding confidant. "Perhaps, if it's only seven, but we don't know for sure. Newborns are reckless and even more dangerous then veteran vampires. They don't care about tactics, and they are dirty fighters. I don't know how the older ones will fight, I've never seen it before. I've only ever watched the Kollins, and I'm sure they fight with a bit more honor then the average blood thirsty vampire." I moved my hand under David's, letting our fingers lock together as we shared the memory of the Kollins battle with a coven of newborns.

"Are you going to ask for their help?" David asked as we both stood outside Melissa's house, his eyes on the distant forest. I didn't have to ask who he meant, "No, I don't think so. It's a matter of how many we have to deal with. If it's just the seven, the pack can handle it. If it's more then that, then perhaps we may not have a choice in the matter." I sighed and was grateful when David grabbed my hand in his, the warmth of his touch helped ease the building tension. "I'm still worried, there are only seven of them but there are so many in the pack that are so young. I don't know if they are really ready for something like this, I don't even know if I'm ready. Half the pack are just kids." I looked away from the woods and turned my eyes to the distant mountains, not so distant really but a whole world away. "They're young, but they know what their doing. I haven't let them just play away their summer." David said and I had to stifle a laugh at how, like a father, he sounded. "Still children." I muttered and felt him squeeze my fingers.

"When do we hunt?" Jon asked, his voice overly eager for my liking. "We aren't hunting yet, we are going to track first. We need to know how many we are up against before we can decide how to act further." David said solemnly. "We should go in groups, in separate directions. We don't know how close to any one town these creatures are." I said and was pleased, and a little shocked, when everyone nodded. It was, silently, understood that I was the second in command and it still threw me. "I will go with Melissa, Alex, and Badger. David will go with Nick, Jon, and Tom. The rest will stay behind in case they come this way, we can't leave the towns un-protected. Though I'm sure the Kollins will keep their side of the fence safe, we have to think of ours." It was still surreal to think of La Push and Makah as my home and my side of the fence, when just a handful of months ago I had wanted to be on the Kollins side of the line. They all nodded, some groaning in protest. In the end, the argumentative ones, were silenced and the plans were in motion.

The two scouting parties started at the first place I had picked up the scent, each starting off in a different direction. I headed north with my group, fanning out to better search but staying close in case we were needed by another, and David's group headed east, doing the same fanning pattern. _**Be careful, and be on guard. We don't know how many there are, howl if you get cornered. Other wise stay silent. **_David ordered the pack, then spoke only to me. _**Be safe, I don't think I have it in me to loose you to a vampire just yet. **_His inner voice was heartbreaking and it almost caused me to turn back around and run to comfort him, he had already resigned himself to loosing to Emmett. _Don't talk like that, you're not going to loose me to one of these murdering leaches. Have a little faith._ I tried to make my voice sound teasing but I still couldn't fight back the sadness his words had caused me.

We kept our minds silent, focusing wholly on the hunt. One of us would come across an unfamiliar scent and alert the others. I would smell the same thing the other would and try to determine if it was a Kollin or one of the vampires that I had come across before. Once or twice it was just one of the Kollins but, finally, we came across a scent that wasn't one of ours and wasn't a Kollin. _It's one of them, it seems they are headed west. _I told them as my group made to turn and head in that direction. _It wasn't alone, three were with it. They are hunting in smaller groups now, I guess to stay under the radar. _I heard the growls in my head as my group picked up a stronger scent. _Melissa flank left and Alex you go right. Badger come with me. _I ordered and watched as they all moved in silent unison.

I could feel David's group coming closer, and was thankful for the reinforcements. We stayed in the shadows, staying down wind and being as silent as we could. Not even I could hear the breaking of a tree branch under our massive paws. I could hear, and smell their burning sweet scent, their cold voices in the clearing and was shocked at the number. There were twelve vampire sitting in an oblong circle, they all seemed to look alike nothing about them would attract un-wanted attention. They were dressed like hikers, ruck-sacks and all, and they were all laughing about something. Then I heard one speak, an eerie high pitched voice that caused goose bumps to rise on my body. "When do you think the rest will arrive? We picked a good place, so much fresh food." The vampire laughed, it was a heavy set woman with small beady eyes and a pointed nose and short spiked hair. "Oh they'll be here in a few days, you know how they like to take their time." Another vampire laughed, this was a squat man with graying hair and a large nose with a voice that sounded English. "How many did he say he was bringing?" The beady eyed Vampire asked, and this brought all our wolf ears to attention. "Same as we have here I guess, unless some of the babies kill each other on the way. You know how the children can behave." It made me sick, as well as my pack, to hear the fondness in his voice. It wasn't for the children, just their blood lust.

_Move back, we have to regroup. _I ordered as I started to back away, thankful the large group of vampires hadn't heard us. _**Meet at the half way point. **_ David ordered and we all agreed. The half way point was the point half way between La Push and Makah. _**We need their help, I hate to admit it and I hate worse to ask you to do it. But you know it has to be done. **_David said only to me and I growled in annoyance. I knew he was right, but I wasn't looking forward to it. _You're coming with me. _ I muttered and heard the resounding laugh in my mind.

We all met up, every one was keyed up and ready for a fight but when David said we would have to seek help from the Kollins the resounding growls and barks was almost deafening. _**Shut up! It has to be done, it is in the treaty. We can't attack the vampires of they cross the treaty line into Kollin territory. Besides we are going to greatly out numbered and we need the damn help. **_I groaned as I thought of how this was all going to play out. _~We don't all have to go shake hands with them do we?~ _Nick asked and at least four heads nodded in agreement. _No, only a few of us have to go. David has to go, of course, because he is pack leader. Sign of good faith and all that. _I heard Nick groan and mutter something rude in his mind. _ And for that, you get to come to Nick. Maybe it will do you some good to get a glimpse of what you hate so damn much. _I growled and stepped closer to him and watched him cower back. _I'm going, simply, because they know me and trust me. If anyone else wants to be a part of the group then speak now, if not shut the hell up. _I was getting annoyed at the muttering inside my head. _~We'll go.~ _Melissa and Alex both said as one and I smiled at them, grateful for the support, yet again.

"I'm not looking forward to this." I muttered as I paced back and forth in Melissa's living room, a cell phone in my hand. "I bet you anything Rose already knows this is coming." I looked to David who seemed to be staring off into nothing. "Just get it over with, like pulling off a band aid." Alex offered with a half smile. "Fine." I groaned and flipped open the phone and began to dial the all to familiar number.

"Renee'?" Came Michael's voice on the other end. "Yes, it's me." I replied feeling the nerves build up in my stomach again. "We know why you're calling, and of course we are going to help. This is as much our fight as it is yours, you're still family." My heart did two things at once, first it filled up like a balloon with joy at the simple acknowledgment of me still being a part of their family, and then it sank to the pit of my stomach. I didn't like the idea of putting them in danger, and a part of me hurt at the thought of still being considered family after how I had been acting. "Thank you Michael." I said in my calmest voice. "We know where to meet you, we will be there tomorrow at noon." His voice was all business as he explained all this. "Who is we?" I asked in a small voice. "All of us." Michael said and I felt my heart flutter then calm. "Okay, we will see you there." I said in my most business like voice and hung up the phone.

"It's set up, they're meeting us at noon and they already know where." My voice was calm but my mind was racing. "That Rose one?" David asked and I simply nodded. "Most likely." I put the phone on the table by the sofa and willed my knees to hold out. "You'll be alright, you said these people were your friends." Melissa tried to comfort me. She was one of the few people I had told the whole story to, and she was one of the only three people who didn't hate me for it. Those three people were in this room right now. "I know that, I just didn't exactly plan on seeing them all under these circumstances." If I had ever planned to see them at all. I had put it off and put it off so long I wasn't sure if I was ever going to bite the bullet and make the drive, or walk, up to their home.

"Well no time like tomorrow, I guess." Alex said with a laugh and I had to laugh, just to stop from screaming. I turned and headed outside, trying to mentally prepare myself for what was to come. The Kollins, and my time with them, all seemed like a life time away from where I was now. It all seemed like a dream, the summer together with Kalley and Michelle and all the nights alone with Emmett. It was all like a fantasy I had woken from just to fall into another with David. At the thought of David I felt his arms close in around my shoulders. "You don't have to do this, I can go without you." He whispered into my hair and I sighed heavily and shook my head. "No I have to, I've put this off for to long. I have to face them, I have to face him." My voice cracked as I said the last word. "You don't have to do anything." I stepped away from him and turned to look into his face. "Yes I do, for more then just the keeping of the treaty and saving of innocent lives. You know that, I have to see him, I have to talk to him. If I'm going to have to pick a life I need to see my other options." I sighed again and wrapped my arms around myself. "I was hoping you'd forgotten about all that and just decided to be happy with me." David said and I could feel him pulling away from me, in more then one way. "I am happy with you, but I was happy with him. I have to give him his chance, just like I've been giving you yours. You've been winning only because I'm a coward. Well not only because of that." I muttered and felt his arms fold around me again. "At least I could win for a little while."


End file.
